1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing mechanism for a convertible top of a vehicle, and more particularly to a mechanism for sealing between a top fabric and a top frame in a lateral edge of a convertible top.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a vehicle equipped with a convertible top adapted to be selectively opened and closed, it is important to adequately seal between a top frame and a top fabric.
A sealing mechanism required for a convertible top is varied depending on systems for moving the convertible top. For example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 05-26567 discloses a sealing mechanism for a convertible top adapted to be selectively opened and closed. This sealing mechanism is designed to fix an edge of a top fabric to a top frame and bring the edge into contact with a weather strip attached to the top frame so as to ensure an adequate sealing performance. This sealing mechanism can ensure a required sealing performance in a relatively simplified structure without a particular problem.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 08-207595 discloses a convertible top which comprises a top frame designed to be retracted in a folded state and deployed from the folded state in conjunction with a stretch motion of a given member, and a top fabric attached to the top frame. In this convertible top, an edge of the top fabric is not entirely fixed to the top frame due to the folding mechanism of the top frame. More specifically, in this convertible top, while a front end and a rear edge of the top fabric are fixed, respectively, to the top frame and an edge of a vehicle-body opening, opposite lateral edges of an intermediate portion of the top fabric, i.e. a portion of the top fabric extending along a door opening, are not fixed to the top frame.
Based on the above structure, this sealing mechanism is designed to move the non-fixed portion of the top fabric toward the top frame and bring the non-fixed portion into contact with the top frame during movement of the convertible top from a retracted position to a deployed position, and to gradually move the non-fixed portion away from the top frame during movement of the convertible top from the deployed position to the retracted position. Thus, it is not easy to adequately seal between the lateral edges of the top fabric and the top frame in the deployed position.
As measures for ensuring an adequate sealing performance in this type of convertible top, various sealing mechanisms have been proposed. For example, the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 08-207595 discloses a sealing mechanism comprising a pulling wire attached along each lateral edge of a top fabric. This sealing mechanism is designed to tension the pulling wire by a deploying force of the top frame so as to enforcedly pulling the lateral edge toward the top frame in such a manner that the pulled lateral edge of the top fabric is led into a receiving groove formed on the side of the top frame and then brought into contact with a weather strip fitted in the receiving groove, to adequately seal between the top frame and the lateral edge of the top fabric.
This type of sealing mechanism is widely used in a convertible top having a structure where lateral edges of a top fabric are not fixed to a top frame.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 02-019627 discloses, but does not relate to sealing between a top frame and a lateral edge of a top fabric, a mechanism for sealing between an edge of a roof opening of a vehicle body and a movable roof attached to the opening and adapted to open and close the opening. This sealing mechanism is designed to bring the movable roof into press contact with a weather strip attached along each lateral edge of the opening, from outside.
The sealing mechanism designed to lead each lateral edge of a top fabric into a receiving groove formed on the side of a top frame and then bring the lateral edge into contact with a weather strip fitted in the receiving groove, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 08-207595, can adequately seal between the top frame and the lateral edge of the top fabric when a convertible top is in a deployed position. However, during movement of the convertible top from the deployed position to a retracted position, a frictional resistance between the receiving groove and the lateral edge of the top fabric is likely to cause difficulty in releasing the lateral edge of the top fabric from the receiving groove, and hinder an adequate movement of the convertible top.
As one solution against this problem, it is contemplated to employ a technique of bringing the lateral edge of the top fabric into press contact with a weather strip from outside, as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 02-019627. While this technique is effective if both members to be bought into contact with one another have high rigidity, it is not effective in sealing between a top frame having high rigidity and a lateral edge of a top fabric having low rigidity. Thus, this technique cannot be employed in a mechanism for sealing between a top frame and a top fabric.